vampire

Meanings

Noun

• A mythological undead creature said to feed on the blood of the living.
• A person with the medical condition systemic lupus erythematosus, colloquially known as vampirism, with effects such as photosensitivity and brownish-red stained teeth.
• A blood-sucking bat; vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus)
• A person who drains one's time, energy, money, etc.
• A vamp: a seductive woman who exploits men.
• A medical technician who works with patients' blood.

Verb

• To drain of energy or resources.

Related

Similar words

• hemovore, hematophagous

Origin

• From French vampire, from German Vampir, via Hungarian from a Slavic word, probably Serbo-Croatian vàmpīr (said to be an alteration of a term *upir), from Proto-Slavic *ǫpyrь. Compare Russian упы́рь, Polish upiór, Polish wąpierz, etc. oupire.